The day before Chinese New Year's Eve, Mei Xue got the news that Empress Shen occasionally felt a cold, and Song Zhijie also quietly returned to Luoyang at this time.

Mei Xue immediately went to see him in Li Jinzhi's courtyard in the outer courtyard.

She still can't worry about Princess Chenyang's affairs.

Song Zhijie said that the arrangements had been made in Qingzhou, and several jailers didn't believe Cai Yu's words at all, they just thought that he was scared crazy and wanted to live a few more days.

As for the governor of Qingzhou, he can't wait to be blind and deaf.

"The people who know have all been arranged, and they have not been hurt, but they have been assigned better positions with money, and they have all been scattered to different places.

It took a few more days, and the thing was done in secret, and it was not noticeable. ”

Speaking of this, Song Zhijie suddenly smiled, looked at Mei Xue and Li Jinzhi and said:

"However, my subordinates' trip to Qingzhou this time is really worthwhile."

took out a thick white note from his arms and spread it out on the table, Song Zhijie said with a smile:

"King Lu's ambition is not only placed on Concubine Shu and the four princes."

Mei Xue and Li Jinzhi glanced at each other, and then lowered their heads together to look at the white note in front of them.

It is a detailed topographic map, and even the location of each small village is clearly marked.

Hidden among the mountains and jungles are several large and small blue and red circles.

Li Jinzhi looked at it carefully for a while and then chuckled and said:

"Uncle Lu Wang is worthy of being born in the military, and the deployment of grain and grass and soldiers is impeccable."

Song Zhijie nodded, and also smiled and said:

"Concubine Niangniang probably couldn't imagine that she herself is just a stepping stone for others."

Li Jinzhi looked at Mei Xue and told her about some things related to King Lu.

King Lu was the third son of Emperor Xian, only a few months younger than King Shu.

His mother, Concubine Xie, came from the Xie family, a big clan in the south of the Yangtze River, although she only gave birth to a son of King Lu, but she was quite loved by the first emperor, so her fief was much better than that of King Shu as a concubine.

But Concubine Xie was still dissatisfied, so much so that before the first emperor died, she invited herself to go to the Luwang Mansion in Qingzhou to retire.

The first emperor died of illness, and she never returned to the capital.

And the Xie family, their ambitions are quite high, and the first side concubine of the crown prince Li Jinyu is Xie Danqin, the daughter of the Xie family.

Although Li Jinyu has treated her indifferently over the years, Queen Shen values her very much, and on some occasions, Queen Shen does not let the crown princess come forward, but will take Xie Danqin with her.

Mei Xue was not surprised when she heard this, it was a well-known thing that Empress Shen didn't like the crown princess, and the girl selected by the Xie clan could not be a simple one?

After discussion, Li Jinzhi and Song Zhijie both felt that they could not tell Emperor Mingde about King Lu's changes for the time being.

In terms of Emperor Mingde's current physical condition, if there is a battle between swords and soldiers at this moment, he may not be able to wait until the last moment, so in the chaos, Li Jinyu is less likely to succeed to the throne smoothly.

After all, Concubine Shu and King Lu colluded, and there was no actual evidence in their hands now.

Li Jinzhi's smile was a little cold, and he said to Song Zhijie:

"Mr. is not in the capital these days, and he may not know about the changes in the East Palace.

The imperial brother should know some things about Concubine Shu and King Lu's mansion, and recently he often rested at Concubine Xie's residence, probably trying to win the support of the Xie family. ”

Although the Xie family made two preparations, King Lu had a bad reputation after all.

Li Jinyu is a legitimate prince, as long as Xie Danqin can give birth to a grandson, the possibility of Xie turning to support Li Jinyu will greatly increase.

Mei Xue was silent, lowered her head and slowly rubbed the small white porcelain cup in her hand.

She thought of the crown princess who was still in Anguo Temple, and thought of the princess's increasingly cold eyes.

When leaving Li Jinzhi's residence, Jiu'er waited in the main hall outside, holding a food box in one hand.

Mei Xue handed one of the food boxes to Li Jinzhi, and handed the other food box to Song Zhijie with both hands, saying:

"The weather is too cold, and Mr. has been traveling for several days, please drink these hot soups to warm up before going to bed."

Song Zhijie took the food box and thanked Mei Xue, with a satisfied smile in his eyes.

Early the next morning, the Empress Dowager Jing'an sent a message to Mei Xue, inviting her to attend the palace banquet of the ladies in the evening.

According to the grade, Mei Xue is not qualified to participate in this kind of banquet.

The reason why the news was sent so late was that Empress Shen finally decided that she could not preside over the palace banquet, and changed it to Empress Dowager Jing'an.

Mei Xue answered, and as soon as the attendant left, she set off for Anguo Temple.

Although I don't know why I'm in such a hurry, deep down, Mei Xue always feels a little faintly uneasy.

There are only thieves for a thousand days, and there are no thieves for a thousand days.

No matter how carefully the Empress Dowager Jing'an made arrangements, Mei Xue still didn't believe that Empress Shen would give up.

Sure enough, as soon as she arrived at Anguo Temple, Mei Xue saw that Mama Jiang's eyes were red.

Empress Shen really gave the crown princess a fatal blow on the last day of the old year, and she asked people to pass on the good news to the crown princess: Concubine Xie of the East Palace was found to be pregnant, and the prince Li Jinyu was very happy, and she accompanied Concubine Xie every day.

"Miss Mei, it's okay if Niangniang cries like before, but now she doesn't say a word, and the old slave always feels that something is going to happen."

Mama Jiang didn't dare to cry, she looked extremely cautious, probably afraid of stimulating the princess again.

Mei Xue sighed silently in her heart, shook Mama Jiang's hand, and then she went to the princess's bedroom alone.

The Crown Princess sat in front of the window doing needlework, and in her hand was a small cotton garment, on which she was intently embroidering.

The light outside the window, which was not too bright, shone on the side of her face, reflecting a miserable paleness.

Mei Xue's heart was sour, and she walked to the opposite of the crown princess and sat down silently.

Neither of them spoke, and the crown princess was still concentrating on her work, but tears fell on the cotton clothes in her hands.

Mei Xue's eyes were red, and she walked to the crown princess and hugged her in her arms.

The crown princess finally cried silently, and her arms around Mei Xue's waist trembled.

She is nearly ten years older than Mei Xue, but since they met, Mei Xue has gradually become her dependence.

Only in the face of Mei Xue can she express the depression in her heart.

"I grew up next to my imperial grandmother, and which man I know is not one with three wives and four concubines?

Therefore, even if she kept sending women to the East Palace, I never had any dissatisfaction, and I always advised the prince to listen to her and give birth to the emperor and grandson as soon as possible. ”

But after so many years, Queen Shen still confirmed the reputation of the crown princess for being jealous.

And use this to torture her constantly.

The crowd is full of gold, and the bones are destroyed.

How many people can understand the pain of being difficult to read?

"I know very well that her ultimate goal is to drive me crazy or to death, to prove that she is right, to prove that I am an ominous person."

Mei Xue looked at the crown princess who was no longer crying and smiling while talking, and she only felt frightened in her heart.

In the past, no matter how sad and sad she was, the crown princess called Li Jinyu "husband".

But today, she calls Li Jinyu "prince".

The tone was rusty and cold.

"The prince has actually treated me very well, but since Ze'er was born, everything has slowly changed."

The crown princess smiled, cut the red thread in her hand, tied a knot, and said:

"I don't blame him, after all, it's his mother, and it's hard for him to believe it if he doesn't want to say the same thing in his ear every day."

Mei Xue was speechless, so she could only sit quietly and listen to the princess talk about the past.

It wasn't until almost noon that the crown princess finally finished the cotton clothes in her hand, put them in a wooden box and said to Mei Xue:

"Miss Mei, these are the clothes, shoes and socks I made for Ze'er, you can bring them back for him!"

Mei Xue nodded, shook the crown princess's hand and said:

"Niangniang, the little emperor and grandson are much better, yesterday I weighed him with the prince, and he grew more than a pound.

Take good care of your body, and when the weather is warm after the New Year, I will bring the little emperor and grandson to see you. ”

With Li Mingze's current situation, if the crown princess sees it with her own eyes, it will only stimulate her even more.

The crown princess nodded with a smile and personally sent Mei Xue to the gate of the courtyard.

Mei Xue walked for a while, and when she turned around, she could still see the crown princess still standing at the gate of the courtyard looking at her.

(End of chapter)